CTIA Thinks Smart Pipes Are The Right Answer
Image from Wikipedia
The folks at the CTIA–the asscociation, not the trade show–are bemoaning the fact that people are actually using their networks. They feel that the only answer is managing the network, as evidenced by the following quote from the CTIA blog:
We need to understand that in order for the ever-increasing volume and variety of services and applications to be effectively delivered, carriers need to shape and manage the on-network traffic.
The only reason you ever manage a resource like this is because resources are scarce. They may have a point. Look at Las Vegas, where the CTIA conference is going on. People on the various mobile networks are complaining that they are experiencing an inability to make calls. Why? Everyone else is trying to make calls, too.
Readers of my blog know what my feelings are on this. Bollocks. Get bigger, stupider pipes. In the case of the airwaves themselves, that’s easier said than done. Getting bigger pipes involves the government auctioning off spectrum. Even when they do buy the spectrum, it takes them years to actually use it.
Then there’s the backhaul side of the equation. Some of those cell towers don’t have a whole lot of bandwidth coming into them. That’s one of many reasons you only see 3G deployed in and around large metropolitan areas–they are the only places you can get a large chunk of bandwidth brought in to support 3G.
Maybe I’m tired, but I’m having a hard time disagreeing with the CTIA on this one, only because it seems like the only practical answer. Anyone suggest any alternatives?
